Microsoft and Kylie Minogue sign Dance Central tour pact

Kylie Minogue is getting an unlikely partner for her upcoming European tour: Microsoft. Minogue has agreed to help pimp out the Kinect game Dance Central at every one of her tour stops in exchange for sponsorship from the software giant.

Check out any of the pop star's 35 stops on the Aphrodie: Les Foiles European Tour 2011 and you'll possibly have the chance to "out dance" Ms. Minogue in a quick round of Dance Central. Her song Can't Get You Out of My Head appears in the game, and anyone who can prove they have the moves will win prizes.

Minogue called the partnership with Microsoft a "perfect synergy" in a statement. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Chris Lewis said, "Kylie is one of the most successful and much-loved artists in the world; a perfect fit for an entertainment brand like Xbox. We're delighted to be involved in the Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour 2011 and introduce the controller-free fun of Kinect and Dance Central to thousands of Kylie's European fans in a new, engaging and entertaining way."

The partnership could be seen as an extension of Microsoft's hefty Kinect marketing budget, which has already achieved record-setting heights.

We can only hope this is successful enough to inspire Microsoft to offer similar partnerships with other artists feature in Dance Central. When is The Commodores' next tour?

Feb 17, 2011